Someday
by gawilliams
Summary: Bones lets Booth know that she did not sleep with the Charlie in The Man In The Bear, and comes to some conclusions of her own.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a short one shot that I was thinking of when I thought of the episode where Booth and Bones went to Washington and discovered a cannibal. I wondered if Bones was able to pick up on Booth's somewhat obvious jealousy from the bar scene and then when he couldn't find her for breakfast the next morning. It's an interesting question since this was early in their partnership and her people skills were not anywhere near what they've become, despite her still needing some work on them. Here's what I came up with. Hope you like it. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

"I didn't sleep with him," Bones said as she settled back in her seat in the plane next to Booth. Oddly enough there weren't many passengers on this flight from Seattle to Denver, so she was able to have a conversation without anyone overhearing them. She'd also upgraded their seats to First Class out of her own pocket since she refused to fly standard anymore, even if the FBI was offering to pay.

"Huh?" Booth said as he looked up from the magazine he was glancing through. He didn't like flying too much to begin with, as it brought back too many memories of heading out on missions while a sniper, but he could get used to this First Class stuff.

"Charlie," Bones explained. "I didn't sleep with him."

"What are you talking about?" Booth asked, though he knew full well what she was saying. He'd asked Angela about Bones and her obviously carefree attitudes about sex, and the answer had been somewhat shocking. Bones enjoyed sex, like any sane individual, but viewed it as nothing more than 'biological imperatives' which could be alleviated by seeking out a willing male who was a reasonable sexual partner for a night. Bones didn't go in for long term relationships.

"Sex, Booth," she said in an exasperated tone. "I did not have sex with Charlie. I thought about it, and he hinted at a one night stand, but I said no."

"And you're telling me this why?" he grated out through slightly clenched teeth. He was not comfortable at all discussing Bones' sex life with her.

Bones turned in her seat to observe her partner and friend. It was surprising to her that they'd become friends, but somehow, despite his hijacking her on cases when she was backed up with work at the Jeffersonian, they had become friends. She trusted him, and that to her was unbelievably important.

"I noticed how you acted at the bar when he was always wanting to dance with me, and also when the other men there wanted a dance or two," she explained. "I also can tell when a man is jealous, Booth, and you acted jealous when we were in the woods and you asked me why I didn't come down for breakfast. I can only assume you were jealous, and I wanted to let you know that I did not have sex with Charlie, or anyone else for that matter the entire time we've been on this case."

Booth sighed. He was obviously not going to get away from this conversation, so he may as well ask his own questions. "Why didn't you take him up on his offer?" he asked. "He seemed nice enough." He hated saying that last, but he had to be honest. The guy had been nice and there was nothing that Booth could pin point that would negate that conclusion.

"He was handsome enough, and likely would have provided me with a great deal of pleasure," Bones allowed. "But I want my encounters to coincide with my own biological imperatives, and I had no such imperatives to deal with at this time."

Booth almost laughed out loud. It sounded like Bones was saying she hadn't been horny and needing to get laid. He kept his views to himself, though.

"Besides, he wasn't who I want at this time," she admitted.

"And who do you want?" he asked, suddenly curious. He knew about her urges and imperatives line, but he really didn't know what kind of guy she was attracted to. He decided that he would begin doing some quiet background checks on the guys Bones dated from now on to make sure that they were decent enough and good enough for her.

"You," she admitted without any preamble.

Booth choked on his drink which he'd just taken a sip of. "ME???" he spluttered, wiping the remnants of the drink off of his shirt.

"Is everything alright, Sir?" the airline stewardess asked as she came up to see if Booth was having problems.

"It's okay," Booth said with a smile. "Just went down the wrong pipe is all. Could I have another, please?" he asked. He was quickly given another drink and then they were left alone again. He turned back to Bones who was watching him with a slight bit of amusement glimmering in her eyes.

"Me?" he asked again, this time a bit more normally.

"Why wouldn't I want to have a sexual rendezvous with you?" Bones countered. "You are well structured, have athletic prowess, and are considerate of other's needs. I believe that you would make an excellent lover and we would mutually enjoy the experience." She paused. "But I also know that you would not agree to such a rendezvous."

That caught Booth's attention after he spent a moment preening at her compliments of his physical qualities. "How do you know that?" he asked curiously.

"From what I have been able to determine in the months of our partnership, and friendship, you appear to be a man who prefers a committed relationship as opposed to casual ones," she observed. "Whether by religious background, or some other influence is irrelevant. I have also observed that you seem to devote most of your efforts at flirting and other mating rituals for blonds, whereas I am a brunette. I also get the impression that I anger you with my lack of social skills and dismal understanding of pop culture. Your innate kindness would not allow you to engage in a sexual relationship with me as you would not want to do or say something that may hurt my feelings as I don't measure up, I believe the phrase is, to what you would look for in a lover."

Booth decided to set the record straight, but decided not to mention his girlfriend for the time being. Why bring Tessa into this discussion if it wasn't necessary? "You're right on one point, Bones," he told her, not entirely comfortable with the whole conversation. "I do believe in a committed relationship, though I can't admit to being a saint on the subject. The problem, though, isn't that you're a brunette instead of a blond, or that your social skills and pop culture knowledge are less than most peoples. The real problem is that we work together. There are no hard and fast rules for us since you aren't an FBI agent, but in general it isn't a good idea for coworkers to be in a relationship, whether it be casual sex or a more committed one. I don't think it's a good idea, even though I would consider it if the timing were right and the circumstances were something more pleasant than a case where we found a cannibal. Does that make sense, Bones?" he asked.

Bones considered his answer. He hadn't said no, and he hadn't said yes. It was more in the nature of a maybe. "You don't find my personality off putting?" she asked almost shyly, though she was shocked that she'd asked the question. She had never been terribly sensitive on what others thought of her, but for some reason Booth's opinion mattered to her.

Booth smiled, finally. He may be uncomfortable, but he could see that she was trying. "Not really," he admitted. "It may be frustrating at times and come out at the worst of times, but why would I mind it? It's just who you are, Bones. Why would I want to change something about someone I consider a friend? Maybe that's that small ingredient that makes our friendship possible. We compliment one another. Take that out of the mix and we may have a disaster."

Bones thought about that for some time, while she noticed that Booth let her think about what he'd told her. She had been honest in telling him she found him desirable and wanted him sexually, but she could also see that he had a point about coworkers getting involved. She may not agree with it, and she hoped that someday the two of them could explore the chemistry that was between them, despite all the arguing and debating that went along with figuring out this rather unique partnership. Someday. That's what it boiled down to. She couldn't help needling him, though.

"So, if I had had Charlie up to my room to have sex, you wouldn't have been upset?" she asked, keeping a watchful eye on Booth.

Booth had his head back, thinking that the conversation had ended. He gave her that smile that she had come to enjoy seeing.

"Now I didn't say that, Bones," he said in a soft cadence. "I wouldn't have done anything, but I'm a normal guy who knows what is important in this world, and if I see some guy getting what I have dreams of, then I'm not going to be too happy." He turned his head back and closed his eyes, letting the sleep that had eluded him for a couple of night capture him.

Bones smiled even wider. Definitely someday. Until then she would just have to take care of her biological imperatives like she always had. Hopefully Booth would understand and both of them would be ready for each other at the same time. One thing was for sure. She now knew that she had a friend she could genuinely count on. He cared. She opened an anthropology journal and relaxed, feeling more personally secure than she had in a long time.

_A/N: Has anyone ever had a discussion that was completely off the record and never referred to again for some reason? I thought that this kind of conversation early on when both were noticing the UST between them, and the formations of a genuine friendship, could easily have happened. It also helps explain the difficulty that Booth had later on with Bones dating other guys, and even later her relationship with Sully. I hope that you all enjoyed this short little piece that allows canon to be maintained, but adds a bit more understanding between the characters. It also puts forth the idea that Bones notices more about Booth than she lets on. Let me know what you think. Gregg._


	2. Chapter 2

_I owe this sequel to Mendenbar who gave a wonderful suggestion as to a venue for a story which I incorporated into this one. I hope that everyone likes this one and thank you for all the wonderful reviews to the first part. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these character or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Booth lined up his tee shot and pulled back his club. Taking a breath, he swung straight and true with full extension follow through, hitting the ball squarely sending it sailing down the fairway. He looked on as the ball came to rest slightly right of center approximately 350 yards down range.

"YES!" he said loudly and with a huge grin. He turned to his companion. "Now that's how it's done, Bones. These clubs are awesome!"

Bones smiled at Booth's enthusiasm. This was a trip she'd planned a few weeks before when his memory had returned. He had been prevented from returning to work for two months after that, so she had decided to take him on a trip she knew he would enjoy. He'd argued at the expense and all, but she'd insisted. They were now at St. Andrews in Scotland playing on the same golf course that the British Open was sometimes played on. She had contacted the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and arranged to have Booth and her admitted as guests of the club so that they could golf on the Old Course and use the clubhouse facilities. They were staying at the Old Course Hotel, Resort, & Spa in St. Andrews. She'd also purchased a complete set of custom made golf clubs for Booth, and she was informed that they were the best that money could buy.

She took in her best friend's appearance. He was dressed in khaki colored slacks, black soft leather golf shoes, and a white pullover polo shirt. His sun glasses hid his eyes, but she knew that they were glowing with pleasure. He had on a khaki colored baseball cap as well. In a word he was spectacular in her opinion. He looked every inch an experienced golfer.

"So that was good?" she asked, although she already knew it was.

"A 350 yard drive? Yeah that's good Bones," Booth chuckled.

He'd been shocked when she'd come to his place a few days before and informed him that she was taking him on vacation to Scotland and that he'd be allowed to play on the private golf course at St. Andrews. He'd then been completely dumbfounded when she showed him the custom made golf clubs she'd had made for him. He recognized the make and knew that she had spent thousands of dollars on the set, much more than he would have ever wanted her to spend on him, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. His game was going to improve dramatically. He'd diplomatically protested at the largess of the whole thing, trip and clubs, but she'd simply smiled and told him that he was "worth it". It reminded him of when Nak had been in DC a few months before looking for his sister. He and Bones had come to a real understanding about each other at the end of that sad case, and he could tell that this trip was a reaffirmation of that.

"Okay, Bones," he said, returning to the present. "Your turn."

Bones looked pensive. "I don't know, Booth," she said. "I'm really not very good."

"You'll never improve unless you practice, Bones," he said as he handed her a number three driver from the bag of clubs she'd gotten from the pro shop.

"Just like sex," she said slyly as she placed the small golf ball on the tee. She knew that her derriere was pointed directly at him when she bent down to do so. The groan behind her told her she'd succeeded in her effort to throw him off his game, so to speak. His golf was excellent, but his mental bearing was off kilter.

"No talk about sex on the golf course, Bones," he said a bit tightly.

"But talking about sex is fun, Booth," she responded as she took a swing. She actually made contact with the ball, and it had reasonable distance, about 175 yards, but it sliced right to the very edge of the fairway.

"Keep your arms straight in the swing, Bones, and keep your eye on the ball as you swing," he coached her, letting her know that while she had hit it, she had some fundamentals to practice. Then he returned to the topic at hand. "That's not the point, Bones," he chided. "We're here to play on probably the best course in the world, not talk about _**that**_ subject."

"I've been thinking about our conversation," she said as they walked with their clubs down the fairway to their balls.

"What conversation?" he asked, a little confused. He judged the distance to the first green and chose a five iron for her, knowing that she wouldn't reach the green with this shot, but a five iron would let her get in a good position for reaching it on the third shot. He watched as she lined up, noting her form, and then watched her swing through with good follow through. She kept her arms straight and landed a good shot in the middle of the fairway. "Nice shot," he commented.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. Then she answered his question. "The one we had on the plane coming back from Washington when we had to find the cannibal."

Booth tried hard not to freeze when she mentioned that rather important turning point in their partnership/friendship. It had been a little over four years since that day, and he'd thought about it on and off ever since. He'd been right in telling her the things he had, and he'd seen the kind of person she'd worked on becoming since then. He was well aware that she would vocally object to that characterization of the changes in her, but he was amazed at the growth she'd shown. The question was, what part of the conversation was she interested in resurrecting.

"Any particular aspect?" he asked, praying that she was not going to discuss a new lover. He was pretty confident that she hadn't been with anyone since the fiasco with the two boyfriends a year before, but he couldn't be 100% positive. They reached his ball and he selected a nine iron for his shot.

"The part where we discussed the idea of us becoming intimately involved," she said, slightly nervous about his possible reaction, but confident she was right in her thinking about that someday being now.

Booth made his shot and managed to get the ball on the green, but he'd have a hell of a put for birdie. He'd been thinking of that part lately himself, so he wasn't too surprised she was on the same wavelength. He picked up his golf bag and walked with her to her ball.

"And?" he pushed a bit. They reached the ball and he handed her a nine iron. In the past he would have been a bit unsure about having this conversation, but his brush with death in the form of a brain tumor had changed his perspective a bit, but he had held to his view that it would have to be Bones to make the first move. It was the only way he could be really sure that she was genuinely ready for something more, despite the personal growth she'd displayed since that pivotal conversation on the plane. It was a risk in terms of possibly losing her to someone else, seeing as he'd drawn such a categorical line about a year after that conversation, but he didn't want to push her into something she was not ready for. She'd been hurt too much in life for him to add to that.

"I always felt after that that we would be ready somehow someday," she told him, revealing that she had been thinking along the same lines even back then. She lined up for the shot and drew back, wondering if she would make it to the green. It was a fair distance, but not so far that she couldn't make it. The worry was the sand traps. She hated those. She swung and connected solidly with the ball, sending it sailing onto the green, and lo and behold it was closer to the hole than Booth's! Granted he would be putting for birdie and she was trying for par on her next attempt, but she was doing okay.

"Nice," Booth commented. He picked up his bag and made his way to the green, placing a mark for Bones' ball and then handed her the ball to hold onto. Then he went over to his ball and began gaging the lie of the ball. He also thought about what she had said.

"Are you ready now?" he asked her curiously. It made a real difference as to how he would reply to her question.

Bones, for one of the few times since she'd known him, decided to be clear about her feelings. "Twice in the space of a year, I thought I was going to be left alone, Booth," she said referring to his faked death and then the brain tumor he'd developed and had removed. "After the first time, I was angry, both at you for not letting me know you weren't dead, and then with myself over the situation with Zack. After we got back from England I was frustrated and feeling lonely, so I tried having a relationship with two guys. We both know how that ended. Since then I've been with no one, and we began to work on our friendship once we worked out the issues that Jared caused. I know I shocked you about the baby issue, and I went about it all wrong, but I was serious, Booth. If I'm to be a Mother at some point, which I still want to be, I want the father to be you. Then you had a brain tumor and amnesia and I was terrified that once again I might be alone."

Booth felt somewhat bad about what she was saying. Part of all this was his fault with his line BS three years before. He'd been serious on the plane that it was something that didn't apply to them, but it did make him stop and think, but he'd arbitrarily made it apply to their situation at the worst possible moment a year later. A lot of the problems they'd had since then, he could see as having a root cause with that line since it had put a certain distance between them that just didn't work for them.

"But are you ready?" he asked as he stood up, waiting on her answer before attempting his put.

"I was ready a year ago, Booth, when we were in London, but instead of telling Ian no from the start, I let him continue pursuing me, even though I said no in the end," she explained. "I was wrong in how I handled that, and it made any chance of us being together then impossible. I was hoping that this trip, with just the two of us and no cases to work on, would finally be the right time for us. That is if you are interested after all the damage I've caused the last three years."

"You didn't cause any damage, Bones," he told her firmly. "You're forgetting what I also told you on the plane. I don't want to change you. You were only being yourself. I can't blame someone for that, and I put out that line, so if anyone's to blame, it's me."

"But I have changed in the last few years," she observed.

"Yeah, but you changed because you wanted to, not because I, or anyone else, made you chance," he pointed out. "That's what's important, Bones. I understand you better than I did then, and I have to say that you've opened my eyes to some pretty incredible things, too. That's precisely because you're who you are. I wanted you then, but I also knew that you weren't ready for something committed. We would have been a disaster. But now we have a lot more to build on."

"So you don't think we should adhere to any artificial line?" she questioned seriously.

Booth lined up his put and tapped the ball with a gentle force that he'd estimated from the lie. He watched it meander along the dips and bumps on the green towards the hole, curving in a couple of spots until it went right in the hole for a birdie. He turned to Bones with a very wide smile.

"Bones, if I can make a shot like that, on one of the most challenging courses in the world with my best friend by my side, then I think we can make anything work for us," he told her honestly.

Bones breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been incredibly nervous about bringing the subject up at all, but now she had the answer to her question, and her view of someday that she'd formed on that plane trip early on had just come true. She placed her ball on the mark, removing the small mark at the same time, and neatly sank her put in the hole a few feet away. Par. One shot behind Booth who was a much better golfer than she ever would be. Oh well, she couldn't be the best at everything.

"How about we go to the hotel and see if we can take care of the urges we've been hiding from all these years?" she suggested.

Booth chuckled. "Now Bones, we are on one of the best golf courses in the world and we've played through one hole already," he pointed out. "I think urges can wait until we've completed seventeen more holes."

"SEVENTEEN???" Bones said loudly, and with a slight pout.

"Remember, Bones, patience is a virtue," he said as he picked up _**both**_ of their bags and began working his way to the start of the second link.

Bones followed, happy and unhappy at the same time. Now that someday had arrived, she could feel like something important had been accomplished. But the downside to it was that now that someday had arrived, she still had to wait. She smiled, though. He was in for a big surprise when they got back to the hotel. Golfing would be put on hold for a few days at least while they made up for some lost time. But one thing had to be settled, first, though.

"Booth! I can carry my own bag myself!" she called out on her way to catch up to her new boyfriend so she could once again argue about the negative view of chivalry she held. Someday was turning out to be an interesting day. It was sure fun, though.

_A/N: Here is the second and final chapter to this story. Once again thank you for the great reviews that I received for the first part. I originally had the story as a one shot, but an idea from Mendenbar made me think of using it as a second chapter for this one. I hope it works for everyone as it injects a bit more humor into it and a slightly slower pace. Let me know. Gregg._


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